(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a linear recirculating roller bearing assembly of the type including a plurality of roller bearings disposed in a predetermined side-by-side spaced relationship for rolling recirculating movement along substantially parallel spaced load bearing and return surfaces.
(2) Description of the Prior Art and Prior Art Statement
Such linear recirculating roller bearing assemblies are, in general, well known in the prior art and are of various different configurations. Linear recirculating roller bearing assemblies of the general type to which the present invention pertains are illustrated in the U.S. patents Stark U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,828, Shurts U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,900, Kalmanek U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,262, and Pfister-Schneeberger U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,211, and U.S. Pat. No. 81 533 issued by the German Democratic Republic under the Ausgabetag date of 20 IV 1971. However, the prior art constructions pose various problems which are overcome by the instant invention.
For example, in most instances the prior art constructions do not provide an effective means for maintaining adjacent roller bearings in predetermined spaced relationship with respect to each other as they recirculate about the assembly, thereby resulting in skewing and scuffing of the roller bearings and consequent deleterious wear on the assembly. Even in those instances where links are employed to operatively interconnect adjacent roller bearings in an effort to keep them spaced from each other, the individual roller bearings are permitted to cock or skew with respect to their direction of recirculating travel about the assembly, again resulting in adverse wear. In those instances in which means are not provided to operatively interconnect adjacent roller bearings to maintain them in a predetermined spaced relationship with respect to each other, it is necessary in the prior art to provide caps or other retaining means at each end of the assembly which increases the overall size of the assembly. Stated another way, the elimination of the need for end caps or guides, as is the case with the present invention, enables the use of a greater number of roller bearings for an assembly of any given size thereby increasing the load bearing properties of the assembly.